Sesshomaru and the Girl Who Wouldn't Quit
by ChaiTea-Walnut
Summary: Sesshomaru meets a girl with firey determination that puzzles him. After saving Gallaya's life, he has to learn to except her help in raising Rin, who is becoming a woman. Can he come to relize what is in his own heart?
1. A Friend in Battle

**Chapter 1 A Friend in Battle**

**Disclaimer: Since there comes a point in every person's life that they have to say something that they would rather not, I'll go ahead and say it now…**

**I do not own Inuyasha!**

**Shocking, I know… **

**Please don't sue me… **

**I've got less money than the hobo, cause I gave him the dime that I've been saving….**

**On with the show…**

**(In this story, it has been a few years since they defeated Naraku. Sesshomaru is still taking care of Rin, who is now twelve.)**

He walked in the village with no intention to stay. He was just passing through with his imp Jaken and his human child, Rin, who was riding on Ah' Un's back. He walked a few steps ahead, leading the way through the paths. Things were strewn around and houses were in shambles.

The man with the long silver white hair smelled the sent of resent blood, and that excited him.

Deeper into the mountain based village he saw actual pools of blood and the resent dead.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" the green imp exclaimed. "Something has happened to these people!"

The man walked on, pretending to ignore the imp.

"Lord Sesshomaru, something is happening ahead." The girl with black hair and a sincere face exclaimed.

"Quiet you insolent child!" the imp said. "Don't you think that Sesshomaru can see that something is going on?" disregarding the fact that he hadn't noticed until she said something.

"Stop it Master Jaken. I wasn't talking to you." The child folded her arms and turned away from Jaken, snubbing him off.

"Why you…!"

In the past few years, after Naraku was defeated Rin had grown into an older version of her childish self. She was about twelve now and was beginning to grow into a woman.

But she still had many years to go.

The group passed through the body littered village. As they neared the squabble that they had seen in the distance, they saw that the village had been attacked by two weak demons who were about to finish off the last of the villagers.

The attacking demons had cornered four of the villagers against the wall of a stable. It was a mother holding a boy no older than six in her arms, along with a man who might have been her husband, and an old woman. They were begging for their lives.

Rin was accustom to watching others die, but even she turned away when a demon with a reddish orange hide ripped the man's throat. The demons stopped in their advances when they noticed Sesshomaru and the others.

One looked like he was going to say something, but held his tongue when he noticed that the demon was not only more than a hundred times stronger than him, but was going to pass by without any action.

The demons turned back to their human prey.

As Sesshomaru walked pass a house a young woman of seventeen ran to him from her hiding spot. He stopped and glanced at her with no sign of interest.

Her long black hair hung all the way down her back. She wore only an expensive pale silk slip that was covered in grim from the battle. She reached no taller than his shoulder and looked up at him with blue, spring water eyes.

"Sir demon, please help me." She asked, in her hand was a broken broom that she had been using as a weapon.

Sesshomaru started to walk again, still three houses from the stable that he would have to pass on his way out of the village.

"Wait! I have money! I can pay you and thing that you want. I am the heiress to my father's fortune, what ever you ask is yours." She told him, offering a bag of money, and following him pass the next house.

"How dare you think that Sesshomaru would be interested in helping a human such as you!" Jaken told her. Rin refused to look her in the eyes.

At the stable, the demons were finished toying with the three remaining humans and the red one reached back his arm to deal a heavy strike.

Sesshomaru heard coins jingle as they hit the ground when the girl dropped the bag of money. Her arm brushed his shoulder in a swift movement and he watched as she rushed pass him with her stick.

She shoved pass one of the demons, one with green skin and a furry head, and put herself between the red attacking demon and the last three of the villagers. Her stick was tilted to the left to block the demons claws. Her eyes showed no fear. The stick was broken by the demon's attacks, but the blow was slowed enough so that the claws that hit her only opened the skin of her shoulder instead of ripping through her.

She fell to her knees right in front of the two women and boy and the demon backed two meters away.

"Leave us alone." The young woman said through grinded teeth as she tried to ignore the pain in her shoulder. She was on her knees now and threw her arms out to protect the ones behind her.

"So you're begging as well." The demon said, stepping back on his right foot to prepare to attack again.

"No, I'm not begging." The demon stopped, "I'm telling you, leave my village and I'll let you live." She spoke boldly to the one who was about to kill her.

Sesshomaru was stopped in the gap between the last house and the stable.

She was young, no doubt, but as he looked into the woman's bright blue eyes, he saw a look of stubborn and hard resolve. Her anger showed in her eyes along with her sheer will to live.

She was not begging, she was giving an order, even from her disadvantaged position.

Sesshomaru felt a twinge in his stomach as he saw those eyes. He knew he had seen that look somewhere before, that pure determination. He had seen that look so often in the eyes of his half brother, Inuyasha. The one that said she wasn't going to quit.

As the blow came down, the woman closed her eyes for a second as her body tensed up. She heard the sound of the demon's claws hitting hard against something. She opened her eyes, not having felt a blow.

She looked up to see the side of the demon man's face, with two red marks on his cheeks and his long silver white hair that blew in the wind. As she looked up from her place on the ground the sun's last lights hit the handsome demon, and she saw an iciness in his eyes along with something else. She thought he looked like a vengeful angel.

Sesshomaru had cut through the other demon to step in front of the attacking one. The red demon was surprised by the opposition and was stunned for a moment, looking at the stump where his hand had been a moment ago. Sesshomaru wasted no time in stabbing his blade through his opponent and gutting him.

Sesshomaru didn't even look back at the woman he had saved, "Come Jaken." Was all he said.

"Yes Mi lord." Jaken hurried after him with Ah' Un following with Rin….

**XXXXXX**

**(I hope that you don't hate it.**

**Okay, I lied, I don't care.**

**But that doesn't mean you shouldn't review.**

**See the button that says 'go' in the left corner? Push it!**

**Now I have you all under my mind powers! Mua ha ha ha!**

**FYI: This is my first FanFic, sorry if anything is misspelled.)**


	2. Beggining of a New Life

**Chapter 2 The Beginning of a New Life**

**Disclaimer: Once more, it will, no, must be said…**

"**I DON'T OWN INUYASHA!"**

**Wa…Wa…Wa…**

**Look, I made myself cry… **

**All better!**

**So, I'm not going to get sued right? **

**The hobo is still gloating about the dime I gave him…**

**Did, I mintion that the hobo is my dad… **

**Life sucks, doesn't it…**

After taking woman, her mother, and her son to a near by village, Gallaya paid for their lodging at the finest inn in the town for the night. The next day they went on to live with some family a day's journey away.

She washed in the stream just outside the village, feeling nasty after she had to sleep in her rags. Dirt and blood stained her clothes and hair. The slip that she had been wearing was ruined, a shame too considering it was her favorite, and she had bought another outfit. The one she had bought was used, but clean, a simple dress used by a servant girl at the inn. She had bought a Kimono, some food, a traveling pallet (something much like a sleeping bag), and some shoes. She had not spent nearly any of her money, for she carried a lot, keeping a bag in her sack as well as one tied to her leg.

Gallaya drifted in the water, stroking gently. When she was younger, her father had paid another woman good money to teach her to swim. After a few minutes, she swam back to the bank and crushed some of the sapon roots she had picked earlier, and used the foam to clean her hair and body. When she was done washing, she dressed in the servant clothes, and began down the path.

Now that her family was gone, she didn't know what to do. Her father had been a wealthy man, but Gallaya sold most of the salvageable belongings (except for the family pendant that now hung around her neck) and given most of the money to the surviving three that were from her village.

Gallaya had enough money for her to live comfortable for almost a year, but after that, she didn't know what to do.

That was a lie.

She did have some idea of what to do. She wanted to find the handsome demon that had saved her life. She owed her live to him and knew that her father would have said that she had to pay him back somehow.

She held back the flow of tears when she thought of her father. She had loved him so much and now he was gone. She refused to cry. When she did, she wanted it to be out of to grief and not self-pity, which was what she labeled the feelings she had now.

As the new day began to wear on, she grew tired of walking. As the daughter of a rich tyrant, she never had much need for it, seeing as she traveled with horses. She sat in a meadow that she had found. She marveled at the softness of the grass. She took her time in eating and redressing the wound on her shoulder. It was getting worse.

She sat in thought for a long time, after a while, she fell asleep. Her dreams were full of confusion and pain, she was lost and was trying to find something. Every time she thought she had it, it slipped right through her fingers like sand.

She reached out one last time, grabbing what ever it was. This time, she held it. It was soft and she could feel the flesh and smell the sent of a person.

She struggled to open her eyes and looked at what she held. It was a hand….

**XXXXXX**

**What do you think?**

**Great isn't it?**

**I know it's short…**

**The world will one day bow before me!**

**Yeah, am I cool, or what?**

**If you say "what" I'll….**

**Time's up for today!**


	3. A Friend in Sickness

**Chapter 3 A Friend in Sickness**

**Disclaimer: The hobo wants to say something.**

**Hobo: I'm not a hobo and she doesn't own this story!**

**Me: What ever, the judge can think that if it keeps him off my back.**

**Hobo: you got any more money?**

**A coin is tossed.**

**Me: And once again, I am broke. If you sue me the only things you'll get is my bill and a hobo.**

**Let's do this thing…**

Sesshomaru watched as the young woman opened her eyes and look at the hand she held, his hand. She looked up at him with confusion in those brilliant blue eyes of hers. He saw the moment she registered his face.

"Wh… who…?" she struggled to form words, but had a hard time focusing on what she wanted to say.

"May I have my hand back now?" Sesshomaru asked the confused woman.

She looked back at their intertwined hands and her eyes widened as if something had burned her. She released her hold of his hand.

"Rin, will you take care of her for now? I'm sick of watching this human" Sesshomaru stood and walked into the woods, without any emotion showing in those iced over eyes of his.

"Yes mi' lord." Rin hopped up from the fire and ran to where the woman lay. She held a canteen up to her mouth. After the woman had finished gulping it down she asked, "What's your name?"

"G- Ga… Gallaya ." She shook off her sleep, "What's wrong.. with me." She gasped.

"You have a fever. We saw you in the meadow. Lord Sesshomaru allowed me to help you. You're the one from the village, right?" the woman nodded, "I think you're sick because of your wound. It' looks really bad."

Gallaya sat up and leaned against the tree, "Thank you. I owe you my life."

"It was Lord Sesshomaru, not me. He acts tough, but he can be nice when he wants to."

"Thank you. Now I owe this Lord Sesshomaru my life, double fold."

At that moment Sesshomaru had returned, "I don't want your life." He leaned against another tree on the other side of their small camp.

"Lady Gallaya-"

"It's not 'lady', it's just Gallaya." She corrected the child.

"Miss Gallaya, I need to redress your wound." She told her.

"I'll do it." Gallaya sat straight, "Where is my sack?"

Rin handed it to her.

Gallaya pulled her arm out of her sleeve and through the large collar of the servant's dress she was wearing. She unraveled the bandages that wrapped her left shoulder. She used another cloth to wipe away some of the blood and puss that lined her wound. Her wound was hot to the touch and looked infected.

"Damn." She said, instantly regretting saying a curse word in the presence of the child.

She rubbed some of the cleaning ointment on before rewrapping it.

Sesshomaru watched her out of the corner of his eyes. He could see the outline of her well defined figure through the fabric of the limp cloth that clung to her features even more than the slip he had first saw her in. (FYI: she had been wearing a slip because her kimono had been ripped to shreds). He knew she was full human, and had no spiritual powers, and he could sense that she wasn't very strong, she probably didn't know how to fight, which wasn't uncommon the woman of her age and station. He wondered why she would risk her life to save the others the way she did. He was certain that she had known the risks.

He saw her pale untanned skin and was reminded of her body's heat that he had felt when she held his hand. He didn't understand what made her fight the way she had, even when she knew she would be defeated. It reminded him so much of his half brother, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru labeled it as a human feeling.

Yet, despite her being a human, he felt drawn to her, and to that infectious determination and constant resolve that he saw in her….

**XXXXXX**

**Did you like it?**

**It wasn't as long as I had hoped…**

**I'll try to write more next time…**

**Oh, by the way…**

**I killed Santa.**

**J/k Santa…**

**Although, if I get coal again, something bad might happen to poor little Rudolph.**


	4. A New Traveling Companion

**Chapter 4 A New Traveling Companion**

**Once upon a time…**

**There was a hobo that stole all my money…**

**So I kicked him in the gonads…**

**And we lived happily ever after…**

**(Hobo throws a rock…**

**I through a dime at him…**

**He jumps for it…**

**The end…)**

**Hobo: Isis doesn't own Inuyasha. **

**Me: Yes I do.**

**Hobo: He belongs to me…**

**Me: Wunna fight… (puts up her fists and shoots the hobo).**

**Hobo: You shot me! What the Hell! Where did you get that gun!**

**Me: What gun? It's a pickle.**

**If you want to sue me, you can. The hobo gave me back my dime.**

Sesshomaru woke up early the next morning, not that he had needed the sleep. He saw Rin with her head in Gallaya's lap.

Sesshomaru felt a pang of jealousy, thinking of how they had grown so close over night. He could smell that Gallaya's fever had broken at some point over the night. Though her skin was pale (it had been pale to begin with), it held a healthy glow that light her face with a warm blush.

Sesshomaru stood quietly, not wanting to wake anyone else, lest he be bothered by his traveling companions' intolerance. He moved across the fire and leaned down to pat Rin's head.

Gallaya's hand shot out and gripped his white hand with red marks and long nails, with her own, slightly pinker hand. His eyes shot to her face.

_How dare she even think about touching me!_

Gallaya opened her eyes and rubbed them with her free hand. She noticed Sesshomaru kneeling in front of her, with that "I'm pissed" expression.

"Wh… what are you doing?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I'm trying to reclaim the hand that you have once again taken from me." He raised his eye brows when she quickly dropped his hand and looked down, he saw the temperature rise in her face.

He stood and walked away. Gallaya saw that the sky was just turning a shade lighter. She gently slid out from under Rin. She went in search for food to cook for their breakfast, wanting something fresh rather than the stuff she had in her bag.

When she returned Sesshomaru was gone and Ah' Un was grazing in a nearby patch of grass. She put the fresh fish over the fire that she restarted and cooked in until it was brown and tender. Gallaya laid four leaves down on the ground next to the fire, about to put some food on it when she heard Rin stirring.

Gallaya turned to see the girl standing to her feet. She lifted her head and looked around, but when she saw that Sesshomaru was not at the camp, she lost her early morning enthusiasm.

"Good morrow, Rin."

"Marrow." She mumbled, yawning.

"If you go wash up, breakfast will be ready soon." Rin's face lit up.

Gallaya wondered for a minute if Rin was the one who prepared her own food, but she thought of something else.

"Rin, does Lord Sesshomaru eat human food. I didn't think of that until just now. I don't think I've ever seen a demon eat before."

"No, Lord Sesshomaru doesn't eat food. He says he eats the flesh of powerful demons and it keeps him satisfied for a couple of months. Jaken does though." Her stomached growled.

"Hurry and wash up."

Rin nodded and rushed off. Jaken was snoring away, clutching the staff of two heads.

When Rin came back she sat down next to Gallaya and dug into her breakfast. It was cooked fish, berries, and a piece of bread that Gallaya had left from the village. They drank water from the stream, sharing the cup that Gallaya had.

Sesshomaru came back to the camp, "Rin, come." She ran to him with affection in her eyes. He placed her on the horse.

"Jaken!" she called, "Lord Sesshomaru will leave you behind."

Jaken jumped with a start, yelling about how the "insolent humans" should have waken him. Gallaya packed the many left over from lunch in her bag and hurried after the others.

Sesshomaru stopped, and without turning around said, "Are you going to follow me?" in his monotone voice of his.

Gallaya didn't even have to ask if he was talking about her or not. "Yes, you saved my life. I owe you mine in return."

"Does that entitle following me?" he asked, with his back still to her.

"Yes, I must follow you and yours every where. I must do what ever you command." Gallaya knew that he would remember this and she might even be possibly signing her own death warrant.

"And if I tell you to go?"

"I must do it." The wind kicked up and Gallaya could see just part of his face. She thought that she saw a hint of a twitch in his cheek. _Could he be smiling?_

"You may follow." Was all he said before he continued walking.

Gallaya said, "Yes Lord Sesshomaru."

**XXXXXX**

Lunch was the leftovers from breakfast and some dried meat. They finished out all of Gallaya's food. Sitting in a peaceful field, Sesshomaru cleaned his sword while Rin and Gallaya talked and laughed about little things until Rin stood.

"Mi' lord, may I go play with Ah' Un in the field?"

"Yes, stay close." Sesshomaru told her in the same monotone voice he used for everything.

When Gallaya was sure that Rin was thoroughly distracted she spoke to Sesshomaru, "My lord, how old is Rin?" Gallaya asked, Rin had not told her what her age was when she told Gallaya of how she met Sesshomaru.

"Twelve."

"Are you aware, my lord, of the changes that take place in a girls body as she grows into a woman?"

"I do."

"Then you are aware that she is starting her transformation. I can already see that she is beginning to bud."

"What of it?" he looked at her with his steel gaze of his.

"I was hoping that you would allow me to speak to her of such things. She needs to know what is happening to her. It will also spare you any uncomfort of speaking of such matters."

"Do what you will. I give her over to you in that charge."

"Thank you, my lord." Gallaya bowed her head to the great demon.

Sesshomaru watched as Gallaya played with Rin. He watched as they chased each other through the waist high grass, laughing. Until they both collapsed out of sight.

He felt something for this woman, Gallaya. He didn't know what it was but he wanted to watch her with that dazzling smile of hers and see how gentle she was with Rin.

_Stop!_ He Told himself, _Do you realize how sick that is? She's human. A silly young human at that._

Still, he looked at her.

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya felt eyes on her back as she chase Rin, who was now "it" in their little game of tag. Gallaya stopped, breathless and turned to see Sesshomaru, staring at her with those unnerving eyes of his.

Her breasts rose and fell as she panted, still smiling with her overflow of joy. Sesshomaru did not turn away or even blink. He just watched her.

Gallaya felt the tug of a smaller hand on hers. She looked to see Rin, pulling her along. Almost reluctantly, she was pulled back into their game. Rin was chasing her. Gallaya would let her get close, but at the last moment she would duck, turn, or speed up to pull herself out of reach once again. Rin was having so much fun. Gallaya was then chasing Rin, they ran in circles, Rin trying to avoid Gallaya.

Gallaya heard Rin scream an ear piercing scream. Rin turned around with a look of absolute horror on her face, right before she was pulled into the grass and out of sight……

**XXXXXX**

**There you go… **

**I hoped you liked it…**

**(Hobo returns with a mob of hobo's)**

**Me: Nooooo…. Not the hobos! Spare me! Spare me from your shiny nickels and pennies!**

**Mob swarms over me… yet, I find enough strength to yell, "I need an adult! I need an adult!"**

**Inuyasha jumps down from the non-existent rafters….**

**And hits me!**

**Me: Ow, what did you that for! **

**Inuyasha: You stole my dime and gave it to the hobo…**

**And the never-ending fight for the dime continues…**

**FYI: If I don't get any reviews, I'm going to get pissed off and send my mob of hobos after you.**


	5. Loosing a Battle

**Chapter 5 Loosing a Battle**

**I'm sick right now, so I don't feel like talking about hobos…**

**I'm pretty sure you people are sick of hearing it anyways…**

**So I'll do it the normal way…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

**(Audience gasps)**

**Don't sue me…**

Gallaya heard Rin scream an ear-piercing scream. Rin turned around with a look of absolute horror on her face, right before she was pulled into the grass and out of sight……

**XXXXXX**

The wind shifted and Sesshomaru smelt the sent right before he heard Rin scream. He sent himself raising through the field of tall grass, punishing himself for his stupidity.

_Damn! Why did I think that she would be safe in that incompetent human's care. I let myself get caught up in this fake reality of a safe world. Now, Rin might have to pay for it!_

Sesshomaru's hair whipped behind him as he rushed forward. Gallaya had just registered what had happened when Sesshomaru ran pass her, followed by Jaken yelling for him to wait. Gallaya didn't have the keen sense of smell, nor the speed that Sesshomaru had, but she followed in the demon's wake.

Jaken was out of breath in no time, though he proved to be as fast as Gallaya.

"Mi' lord!" he cried, "Wait!" the green imp bent of in exhaustion. When Gallaya came level when him, he lashed out, "This is your fault you insolent human!"

"How is this my fault? Even Sesshomaru did know that a demon was near. Don't blame me, you toad!" she said as they ran.

Sesshomaru was already out of sight, the two followed blindly through the thick brush. Gallaya leapt over a large puddle of mud while Jaken used the staff to help him over. Gallaya tripped over a branch that she hadn't seen. Jaken kept going, pretending not to notice.

From the corner of her eye Gallaya saw red streak by her.

"Stop, Inuyasha!"

"But, Kagome, we'll loose him."

Gallaya saw a man stop right in front of her, she looked up to see a man with long silver hair. He looked ticked off. A woman got off of his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her dark hair glistened a midnight blue when the day's light hit it.

"Yes." The woman helped her up.

"Thanks, but I've got to go." Gallaya brushed her off. She took off running where she thought that Sesshomaru went.

"Where do you think you're going?" the man had grabbed onto her collar, pulling her back. Gallaya saw his dog-ears and felt his nails rip through her dress.

"Get off of me you stupid demon!"

"Calm down." The girl told her. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Let me go, I've got to find my lord."

"Who's your lord?" the man asked, he sniffed her. "You smell familiar."

Gallaya started to cry, but didn't care. "Let me go! I've got to find them. They

might die."

Inuyasha sniffed the air in alertness. He grabbed Gallaya and the woman, Kagome. He jumped with them, right before a huge demon crashed down where they had been. He pulled them behind a bush.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah, I thought I smelled Sesshomaru." Inuyasha stilled had a hold on Gallaya, so he pulled her back down when she tried to stand up."

"That's lord Sesshomaru's true form?" Gallaya was in awe as she watched the gigantic dog demon leap stand in full glory, growling at his enemy. (A/N: Sesshomaru still has both his arms. It's my story, if you don't like it, I don't care.)

"You know Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked from the other side of Inuyasha.

"Yes."

Inuyasha grabbed the two of them and jumped yards away to a high branch on a tree as Sesshomaru slung his enemy over the area they had just been in. The demon was a huge brown recluse spider.

"Inuyasha, look!" Kagome pointed to a large web that was weaved between two trees that stood twice as high over the rest.

"Rin!" Gallaya shouted when she saw the older girl encased, save for her head, between two smaller children. A girl and a boy.

Gallaya climbed as quickly as she could down the tree, scraping her legs in the process.

"What! Stupid girl, you're going to get yourself killed!" Inuyasha shouted. He

rushed out of the tree with Kagome. Catching Gallaya and tossing her on his back.

"While Sesshomaru is distracting the demon, we can save the children." Kagome said. Gallaya and Inuyasha both nodded.

They charged the tree, eyes on the children.

**XXXXXX**

Beginning of Flashback:

Sesshomaru entered the clearing. He saw Rin along with two other children wrapped in a spider wed. He was tense, able to since a demon nearby, but unable to pinpoint his exact location. He was weary, he couldn't tell how strong this demon was. It was somehow able to hide the strength of his demonic aura.

He walked cautiously towards the trees.

He couldn't sense the demon until he saw it's shadow on the ground before him. It had been able to conceal its presence.

Seeshomaru spun on his heal and faced the demon. "Hello, Sesshomaru. It's been a long time, hasn't it."

"Hytamorramaru." He growled. The large spider almost seemed to grin.

Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword. He attacked viciously, the spider backed off somewhat, before lurching at him.

"You will pay for what you did to me!" the spider screamed before attacking Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru resheathed his sword and transformed into his true form.

The spider jumped at him and bit Sesshomaru jaggedly on his right shoulder. Sesshomaru roared as he felt poison pump into his body. He was a demon, so the poison wouldn't kill him like it would have done to a half demon or a human. The poison would, however, weaken him greatly. Sesshomaru hated himself for letting the demon so close to him.

The spider demon tossed him, causing him to slide across the ground and knock down trees in the process. Sesshomaru smelled the sent of Gallaya, Inuyasha, his brother's woman, Kagome.

He stood, cursing himself for not telling her to stay behind. She would just be a liability to him now. He hoped that Inuyasha would at least protect her decently. After Sesshomaru accidentally tossed his enemy to the bushes where they were, he smelled them change positions. When he noticed that they were heading to the spider web, Sesshomaru tried to distract the demon from noticing.

"Sesshomaru, are you trying to protect your friends from me? Did you think that I couldn't smell them?"

Sesshomaru growled in reply. He felt his body weakening and his power dropping. He panted and could taste blood dripping from his mouth. The spider charged him and tossed him across the ground, to the tree.

End of Flashback

**XXXXXX**

Inuyasha sliced the web and casing away from the three children. Gallaya caught the unconscious Rin, when Inuyasha tossed her down, Kagome caught the little girl, and Inuyasha took the boy before he jumped down.

He vaulted out of the way as a tree crashed down. Kagome and Gallaya jumped the other direction. Before Inuyasha could get to them the body of his half brother swept over them. He watched as they were concealed from his sight. He saw his brother's body disappear as a sign that he had returned to his human form.

Inuyasha growled. He laid the boy down against a tree and stuck Tetsaiga's sheath between the boy's arm and body to offer some protection.

Inuyasha stood and attacked the spider.

Within ten minutes of hard battling the other demon escaped, leaving a weak Inuyasha.

**XXXXXX**

After being hit by Sesshomaru's body, Gallaya and Kagome were almost surprised to find themselves alive. They had been thrown by the impact, deep into the forest.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked Gallaya. As they brushed the ripped branches off them. Unsteadily they stood.

"My head, it hurts." Gallaya said, grabbing her head as the world spun. "Where's Rin?" she asked, squeezing her eyes shut.

Kagome dug through the rubble at her feet while Gallaya did the same, despite the aching in both their bodies. They found the children, both clinging their limp bodies to

their own in desperation.

"We have to get out of here." Kagome said, standing from her knees.

"What about that man?" Gallaya asked, following the older one all the same.

"He'll be fine. He's survived worse than this. He'll be fine." Kagome said, almost trying to convince herself.

They walked with only the intention of escaping the fight that they heard, they had no idea where they were going. They heard commotion not far away. It sounded like a large group of people.

Gallaya and Kagome walked into the village with the girls in their arms. They had leaves in their hair and were covered in dirt. They looked exhausted. The villagers stopped and watched as they walked from the dark forest. They started to sway slightly before simultaneously falling on the ground, unconscious.

When Gallaya woke up she was clean and in new clothes. Kagome was already awake and sitting next to the little girl. Gallaya pushed the blanket off her body. She moved to sit next to Rin, who lay by the young girl. She pushed a lock of hair out of Rin's face.

She looked up to see Kagome watching the girl.

"Is she yours?" Gallaya asked.

"Yeah, her name is Kella." (A/N: remember, this is my story and I can do whatever I want with it.) Kagome told her. "Inuyasha named her."

"That demon? Is he your husband?"

"Yes. I'm Kagome by the way."

"I'm Gallaya."

"It's nice to be properly introduced." Kagome turned back to the child. The boy is ours too. His name is Souta. We named him after my little brother. They're twins, you know. Both three. We have another son. Well, he's not really ours, we raised him though. He's always been apart of our family. His name is Shippo. He's a cute little fox demon. We went crazy when he told us how he had been attacked and the demon had taken our little boy and girl. We set out to find him immediately."

"Why did he take your kids?"

"My husband and I believe that he wanted to exchange them for the Shikon Jewel. I don't think he knew that it's been gone for some time now."

Gallaya listened to her talk. She stared at the woman's daughter. Her hair was the same dark raven blue as her mother's, her nose resembled that of her father and was probably as keen in smelling.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you and your husband? You both seem very young to have children." Gallaya asked.

"We are twenty. We were married when I was seventeen. He had just turned eighteen at the time. We had our children not long after." Kagome smiled slightly at that memory before she looked up, "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in the forest before my husband and I ran across you?

"Rin had been taken by that spider demon. I tried to follow lord Sesshomaru, but got lost."

"How is it that you know Sesshomaru, let alone travel with him?"

Gallaya started to cry when she told Kagome the story. Kagome reached across the girls to squeeze the younger woman's hand.

"Sesshomaru seems to have softened up. You know, he wouldn't have done that when I met him years ago." Kagome told her softly.

"As soon as Rin and I recover, we have to find him." Gallaya said.

"He might not have made it out of that battle." Kagome tried to tell her softly, not wanting her to get her hopes up to high, to have them crushed when she found that he was dead.

Gallaya shook her head, slinging her tears, "No, he's alive. I know he is."

**XXXXXX**

**Well, there you go…**

**It's not the best I've ever written…**

**Until next time…**


	6. Reunited

**Chapter 6 Reunited**

**Ok,**

**I don't own Inuyasha, and Inuyasha characters…**

**I do own the plot and any additional characters…**

**XXXXXX**

Inuyasha carried his son, Souta, still asleep, away from the battle sight. He couldn't find his wife, his daughter, his brother, Rin, or the young woman Gallaya. He made camp and when morning came it found both him and his son with a huge appetite. Inuyasha took his son to a stream and they caught fish.

They both gobbled it down as fast as they could. When they were done and Inuyasha was ready to leave his son asked, "Hey, dad, where's mamma and sis?"

Inuyasha ruffled the boys white hair and dog ears, "I don't know. We're going to look for her."

"Like a game?"

"Yeah like a game. You want to ride on my back?"

"Yay!"

Inuyasha helped the boy up. He was worried about Kagome and his daughter, but didn't want to worry Souta. He followed the weak smell of his wife and the others through the trees, his son talking the whole way.

Before he entered the village where the trail had led him, Inuyasha pulled a cap over both his and his sons head. Villagers had become more violent to demons as of late (Not that they weren't violent before).

They strode into the village, getting many stares for their white hair. Inuyasha carried his son on his hip. No one hid their stares and it was starting to unnerve him.

"Daddy? Why are they looking at us?"

"Shh." Inuyasha shushed his son.

He walked up to a nearby man, "Excuse me, but did two woman and two girls come through this village?" he asked.

"Y- Yes." The man said, telling him through much stuttering where to find them.

Inuyasha frowned at the man before walking on. When he came to the house he told the guards at the gate why he was there. They let him inside It was a nice house with many rooms and was apparently owned by a wealthy man.

A woman led him inside. She brought him down the hall and knocked on the wood to the side of the paper door. "You have a guest." She said before leaving him there.

"Just a minute." He heard a voice call. Someone ran to the door and opened it.

It took a second for Kagome to register that it was Inuyasha. When she did she jumped on him, laughing, kissing him, hugging him, and pulling his ears affectionately. He engulfed her in his arms. His son then hugged her.

"Hey sweetly, mommy missed you." She told him, kneeling.

A little girl ran to the door, "Daddy!" she cried, hugging his legs. He picked her up and twirled her in his arms. The girl's dark, dog like tail was wagging.

"How's daddy's princess?" he said as they brushed their noses together.

"Good."

When he sat her down, her brother pulled her hair. She screamed and punched him on his head. The boy stuck his tongue out at her.

Gallaya watched this as she brushed Rin's hair. Gallaya wished that she would one day she would have a husband that would hug her and gently tease her. She wanted children that they could raise together. She wanted a family.

"Gallaya?" Kagome said, shaking her out of her day dream.

"Hm?" she looked up.

"I want you to properly meet my husband and son." Gallaya stood along with Rin. "This is Inuyasha, my husband." Gallaya and Rin both nodded at him. "And this is Souta, my son." Souta smiled. "Inuyasha, this is Gallaya and Rin." Inuyasha nodded.

"You're that little brat of a girl that Sesshomaru took under his wing, aren't you?" He asked.

"Inuyasha." Kagome elbowed him.

"Yes. I remember you, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru never liked you."

Inuyasha folded his arms, "Feh, it's not like I care what he thinks."

Gallaya had to work not to grin at his immature tactics.

**XXXXXX**

They went out the next day, ready to leave the village. Inuyasha had agreed, under the constant prodding of Kagome, to help point Gallaya and Rin in the direction of Sesshomaru.

They neared the edge of the village when they saw a large ruckus of some type going on near the forest.

"Kill him!" the people shouted. "Stab him!"

Gallaya rushed to the group and pushed her way through. The people were standing around a large hill of cloth. It took only a moment for her to realize that it was not cloth, it was lord Sesshomaru!

He was leaning up against a tree, his hair strewn madly. Blood stained his clothes and sweat dripped from his face. He was breathing hard, and his eyes seemed hazed over with white. His armor was cracked and there was blood in the corner of his mouth. He clutched his wounded arm.

Gallaya thought that even ill and wounded, he looked beautiful.

"Kill him!" the people shouted and a couple of men stepped forward with pitchforks in their hands. They looked ready to strike.

"NO!" Gallaya screamed as she rushed forward.

_What does she think she is doing?_ Sesshomaru thought. As Gallaya stood in front of him with her arms thrown out to the side.

"Get out of the way you stupid wench!" one of the men said, striking her across her face, causing her to fall to the ground.

Whispers broke out across the cloud. "He will kill us all if we let him live!" the other man spat.

Gallaya crawled over the beaten demon and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling his head to her breast. Sesshomaru's nose was filled with her intoxicating smell.

_Stop! Control your mind! Don't let your instincts rule, rule them!_ Sesshomaru looked into her face. He was surprised to see that pure determination filling her huge and gorgeous blue eyes. She stared the men down.

"He will not hurt you. He is wounded." She told them.

"So, we will not give him time to heal." One woman cried.

Gallaya did not bat an eye, "This demon saved my life. I am telling you, he will not harm you." She turned her steely gaze back to the two men, "Drop your weapons and leave him be."

Sesshomaru felt an awe that he could not deny rise up in him. She used the same command as when she had told the demons to leave her village. She had no fear and was not going to back down.

One of the other woman from the village, one with a small child tugging at her skirt said, "I don't see why we can't let them be."

"He can't stay here." Someone else said.

"He wont." Gallaya assured them, "I will take him with me and tend to his wound on the other side of the river. Away from your village.

Sesshomaru watched Gallaya's determined eyes, her hair blew in the wind. He watched her, and then his world turned black.

**XXXXXX**

**Please Comment**


	7. Night's Watch, A Slap, Taken Again!

**Chapter 7 Nights Watch, A Slap, Taken Again!**

**XXXXXX**

**I kinda changed some stuff in chapter 5, so you might want to reread it…**

**Thanks** **VarekaiSoleil…**

**I don't own Inuyasha, Kagome, Sesshomaru and his gang, or anything else like that. The plot and some of the characters are mine…**

**Yay me!**

Sesshomaru sat against a tree while Gallaya washed his deadly shoulder wound. He couldn't find the energy to tell her to leave him be. There was no one around to see anyways. Inuyasha had gone to find Jaken and Ah' Un while Kagome had taken the children and Rin to find food, leaving Gallaya alone.

Sesshomaru's armor had been removed and his sleeve was pulled down to reveal the large gape that the demon had left. His pale skin shone as bright as snow.

He watched her as she worked. She had removed foreign bodies from his bite, such as twigs and leaves. She had just finished gently washing it with a clean rag that had been constantly dipped in warm water. She pulled out a sowing needle and thread. At this he stopped her.

"You've done enough. My body will heal fast enough." He put his uninjured right hand on hers, causing her to lower it.

"But, mi' lord, you will heal even faster without it." She told him, adverting her eyes.

"I do not need it." That was the end of the discussion.

She put the equipment away. He had a thought, "Is that what you did to your arm, sowed it like a piece of ripped cloth?"

"Yes. It was the only way for it to heal smoothly."

"Has it?" he asked, not knowing why or even if he was concerned.

"Well, it's been five days, even though it seems like a lifetime ago, but it has gotten much better. All signs of infection are gone." She told him, putting more wood on the fire. It was only about five in the afternoon,so they didn't need a fire, but they would when the others came back with diner.

"Good." He said, then stood.

"Where are you going?" Gallaya asked, alarmed.

"To wash. And fix my clothes." He told her, raising an eyebrow. He was not used to people asking where he went.

"Well, be back in time for diner." She told him, turning back to the fire.

"I do not eat human food." He told her, annoyed.

"Well, you're wounded. It'd nice to have something to give you energy, I thought you might be hungry." She shrugged.

He walked away.

**XXXXXX**

Inuyasha returned, followed by Ah' Un and an annoyed Jaken, shortly after diner was finished. He sat and started to chow down. Jaken sat against a tree and started to sulk. Gallaya brought a leaf with cooked fish, bread from the village, and fresh berries over to him. Jaken pretended to ignore her, but next time she looked over, she saw that it was all gone.

They all climbed into their sleeping mats. Gallaya was surprised to find that Rin only had a blanket to cover with. Gallaya gave to girl her mat (Which was in her bag that was still draped on Ah' Un's back when they had returned), and taken the blanket. She argued with Rin, telling her that she was a growing girl and that she didn't mind sleeping under the blanket that was to small for her for one night.

Inuyasha and Kagome slept with their two children between them on one side of the camp, while Rin slept with next to the two headed demon horse. Jaken slept against the tree to the left of where Rin lay and Gallaya slept by the one to the right.

The night was silent, other than the sound of chirping crickets and night time animals, when Sesshomaru returned to the camp. His armor and clothes were miraculously fixed, and his stiff arm was the only indication that he had been drastically wounded.

He was surprised to see Rin in the warm traveling mat that belonged to Gallaya, and Gallaya covered with the small blanket that Rin used. Rin had been outgrowing and he had planned to find her another one, but he hadn't expected Gallaya to give up her own.

A breeze kicked up and he saw Gallaya shiver and pull the blanket to cover her shoulders, but revealing her bare feet. Sesshomaru felt pity for the woman, but gave the emotion to the fact that she had taken Rin's blanket.

He walked over to her and saw her face turned towards the tree, her blue eyes shut in a peaceful sleep. Another gust of wind cam and that peacefulness shifted into that of discomfort.

Sesshomaru glanced across the camp, and seeing that everyone was asleep, took off his armor and undid his shirt, revealing his plain white undershirt (A/N: I don't know what else to call it!). He pulled the blanket down to cover her feet fully before draping his heavy garment over her. It almost covered her a little pass her knees, due to him being over a foot taller than her.

He noticed her flinch. It was then that he realized she had not been asleep.

Gallaya had felt the wind blow over her. She pulled the blanket up. She was surprised when a hand pulled it down over her feet before putting something heavy, thick, and warm over her body. It smelled like Sesshomaru.

She knew that he had seen her flinch when his hand was jerked away like something had burned him Sesshomaru knew she knew when he saw her flinch.

He stood there, running his options through his mind while she lay there, her heart pumping away. They chose to ignore each other.

Sesshomaru couldn't believe that he had been so stupid. He didn't even know why had had the urge to put his shirt over her. He cursed himself for taking such a stupid action. He set against a tree a few feet away.

After a few minutes, Gallaya curled up and burrowed into the shirt, smiling before she fell asleep. Sesshomaru watched her through the night.

**XXXXXX**

Sesshomaru was stood just an hour before dawn's sun rose above the horizon. Already the sky had turned from a dark blue to a sickly grey. He went to where Gallaya had slept and removed his shirt from around her.

He began to slide it on before she awoke.

"Wait. Let me check your wound." She said, yawning and pulling her hair back in a sloppy ponytail.

"No. I don't need it." He said.

"I just want to look at it." She said stubbornly, getting up and pulling on his sleeve while his back was to her.

He spun around and his hand shot out across her face. She gasped, putting her hands to her left cheek where a large red mark was appearing. Sesshomaru turned back around, ignoring the betrayal in her eyes, and left.

"I will be gone for a couple days. Tell Rin and Jaken. I will return for them in three days time." He said in the moment before he stepped into the dense trees.

Gallaya grabbed her bag, took out the servants dress she had bought before she found Sesshomaru (she was currently wearing a dress given to her by the family she had staid with), along with a couple other things and went to the stream.

When she got their, she gazed into the water and saw that two long slashes marked her face. It was no doubt left by lord Sesshomaru's fingernails. Gallaya rinsed it with fresh water, but it had already started to swell. She sighed.

She removed her clothes and unwrapped her bandages and quickly examined her marks. She had a huge wound on her left shoulder from the demons that raided her village, she had a long scratch on her right thigh that went from her knee to her hip, an abrasion on her abdomen left by the fight with the large spider, and two bleeding welts with the surrounding skin bruising from Sesshomaru.

She slipped into the water and let its morning crisp refresh her. Gallaya turned when she heard movement behind her.

"I thought I'd find you here." It was Kagome. The older woman removed her clothes and slid into the water. "What happened to your face?"

Gallaya reddened, emberced. "Nothing, I just made lord Sesshomaru angry."

"I have something that will help your marks. I don't see why you follow him. He was always so cold." Kagome said.

"I know that's how it seems, but he did save my life, so he can't be all that cold and heartless." Gallaya wrapped her arms around herself.

Kagome shrugged. They washed using the strange substance that Kagome had brought with her, it was called shampoo.

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya stepped out of the water and put on her dress. Kagome followed her. They caught a couple of fish and sat and talked for a few minutes more as the sun rose and it was about seven in the morning.

"You, Jaken, and Rin are just going to stay here while Sesshomaru is gone?"

"I don't see where else we can go." Gallaya said, picking up the fish.

"You could always come and stay with Inuyasha and me." Kagome offered, following Gallaya back to the camp.

"Thanks, but-." She cut off when she heard a scream, followed by a couple more.

They dropped everything and took off to the camp. They each pulled out a small dagger that they had been carrying. Kagome had left her bow and arrows at the camp. They ran into the clearing.

It was under attack. Ah' Un ripped the head of a short black demon. Rin, Souta, and Kella coward against a hollow in a tree while both Jaken with the staff of two heads and Inuyasha with Tetsuseiga stood before them, warding off oncoming demons.

The two women sliced pass demons as the ran to their friends. Kagome took the bow and arrow that Rin was holding and slung it across her back, unable to use them at close range. Gallaya didn't know how to fight properly, but she did the best that she could.

"Jaken, call Ah' Un." Gallaya told him. The imp did such.

The beast came, fighting its way to them. Gallaya put the children on while the others fought.

"Hold tightly." She told them. She turned to the others, "We need to get out of here."

Inuyasha nodded, "You two get on the horse."

They obliged as he held of the demons, "Windscar!"

The attack swept the tide back, but it seemed that the hoard never ended. Jaken jumped onto Ah' Un's back, between Rin and Gallaya who were in the back. Gallaya was afraid that the demon wouldn't be able to carry their combined weight, but her fears went unfounded.

"Go!" Inuyasha cried as the demons over took him.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as they took off.

The demons followed them as they galloped along the forest's path and cleared the trees. They made it to a hill and climbed up it. The demons were clawing at their feet. Kagome, Jaken and Gallaya batted them off.

Rin screamed, "Ah!"

Gallaya watched in horror as the girl was pulled off of Ah' Un's back.

"Rin!" she cried. She turned to Jaken, "Master Jaken, find lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome called her name as Gallaya threw herself from the beast's back and rolled down the hill through the crowd of black, goblin like, demons.

Gallaya pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the small claws ripping at her hair and dress. She ran to Rin's unconscious body, but was not able to reach it when the demons bound her and carried her.

Kagome watched as Gallaya was taken from her sight

**XXXXXX**

**What's going to happen to Gallaya and Rin?**

**I don't know either…**

**Yeah I do…**

**I'm not going to tell you…**

**Sucks to be you…**


	8. Captured and Imprisoned

**Chapter 8 Captured and Imprisoned**

**Okay, chapter 8…**

**I'm happy I've gotten so far…**

**I'm usually ADD when it comes to my writing…**

**I want to thank Chibi Inuyasha Lover 4ever for her review…**

**I never knew that the dime I had given the hobo used to belong to Inuyasha…**

**Oh, by the way…**

**My hobo, he got a job…**

**He wanted me to tell you…**

**He said that next time you go to McDonalds give him a holler…**

**He's the one frying the fries…**

**I just hope he washes his hands before touching my stuff…**

**Disclaimer: My lawyer told me that I don't own Inuyasha or his characters…**

**That came as a huge surprise to me…**

**I think I had a heart attack…**

**I think I ate too many of the hobo's fries…**

**Luv ya!**

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya couldn't move, only watch, as she was drug away from her companions.

Rin was far ahead of her, being carried by another group of demons.

"Let go!" Gallaya screamed, kicking and fighting with all her might, which wasn't enough to get her released. "I said, let go!" she kicked a particularly nasty black

demon.

He used his long claws and raked her skin hard enough to leave four marks traveling down her skin, but gentle enough so it didn't bleed.

Gallaya shuddered at their touch. Their clawed hands were all over her, touching her, scraping her. The demons were no taller than her hips, and wore what looked like, black capes over their bodies and heads, with their bright red eyes shining out from beneath the cloth. The demons were lean, but sturdy as the two girls were swept by their wave.

Gallaya was ever the optimistic and tried to think about Sesshomaru finding the two of them and setting them free.

The demons brought them to a mountain, and traveled deep inside. It was a dark trail, and Gallaya fought most of the way. She stopped only when they entered a large cavern. It was dark and the walls seemed to have a purple hue. The stalactite and stalagmite almost touched in some regions, before the ceiling branched out into a large, possessing, dome. The only light that entered was through a man sized whole in the roof, through which the sun shone.

Gallaya was carried to the far left wall, near the entrance. She was put in cuffs that were screwed into the wall. They were low enough that she couldn't rest on her feet, but not tall enough for her to stand properly. She did the best she could.

She turned her head to her left, and three meters away Rin hung from the wall, in the same uncomfortable position. The black demons crowded around, poking and prodding them until something happened. Gallaya heard a clacking sound and watched as the demons moved away from her and Rin, to the center of the chamber.

Gallaya looked to see a large pedestal of some kind in the center of the room. It was large and round. A man stood on it, but the longer she watched, the more she realized that he was not a man, but a demon. His hair was a dark purple, the same as the cave walls, he was tall, with the same red eyes that the smaller demons possessed. His hands looked like the claws the other demons had, with four long and sharp nails. He had come down from the whole at the top of the cavern and was now walking to Rin.

"Hello, child. My name is Hisomine." He said in cruel way, that spoke louder than his actual words. "I see you've taken to our _accommodations._" He stroked Rin's cheek, causing her to furrow her brow and turn away in a shudder.

"Leave her alone!" Gallaya shouted, hoping that she could make him loose focus on Rin.

It worked, the demon turned, giving Gallaya a cruel smile, "My my. You are feisty." He said, but then he turned back to Rin and used his long, serpent's to stroke her face.

"Get off of her, you disgusting, good for nothing, freak!" Gallaya shouted.

This time the demon walked to her, "You really are feisty." He bent down to look her square in her face, "And you stink. You smell like human." He stood before grabbed a fist full of hair and pulled her head up to look at him. She cried out. "You will soon learn that you do not want my attention." He breathed on he neck, causing shudders to run down her spine.

He walked away from her. "Hey, Hisomine!" she called out, he turned, "This is what I think of you." She spat.

He turned, angry. He rushed up to her before she even knew he had moved, and dealt her a hard blow to her face. Gallaya's face felt numb at first, but then the pain flooded in and she bit back tear, to no avail. It hurt so much worse than when Sesshomaru had slapped her. She then realized that lord Sesshomaru had been going easy on her.

"Never disrespect me." He said and kicked her in her stomach. She couldn't double over, but she pulled her knees up the best she could, crying again.

He walked away.

"Lord Sesshomaru will come for Rin and me." she said.

This time he didn't even turn around, "That's what I want."

He walked to the pedestal, "Brother, I'm leaving. Watch them."

"Yes." A voice came from the shadows at the back of the cave. A huge spider stepped out. It was the same spider that Gallaya saw Sesshomaru fighting.

**XXXXXX**

Rin was able to stand against the wall with her arms above her head. She cried a lot over the next couple of days, and dreamed of Sesshomaru rescuing her. The worst shock was when she woke to find that she was still in the cavern.

She quickly learned to keep her mouth shut when the demons spoke to her, willing Gallaya to do the same. But, Gallaya's quick tongue brought her just as quick beatings.

"You are a despicable human." One of the short, black demons told Gallaya, shoving a piece of molded and stale bread into her mouth. Gallaya spit it back out.

"How dare you." Another one shouted, "If you are going to be so ungrateful, let's see how you do without a day's worth of food!"

Rin sharply inhaled at this, the demons barely gave them enough to keep them alive, it wasn't even enough to stop her stomach from growling.

Once the demon's left, Rin turned to Gallaya, "Just do what they say. They're going to kill you if you keep doing this." Rin whispered across the distance.

Gallaya turned to look at her, "I know, but I can't give up without a fight."

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya hung on her wrists, ignoring the pain and the drop of blood trickling down her arm. She was exhausted. She had eaten nothing in the past three days, and had only a mouth full of water for her meals. She was covered in filth, and had not bathed in the week that she had been held captive.

She had stopped dreaming of rescue, but still held hope of escape. She jerked her head up at the clacking sound. While the spider demon had remained in the cave, save for an hour a day when he left for whatever reason, Hisomine had not been in the cavern since the day Rin and her were captured. She watched in resentment as the purple haired demon lowered from the hole in the roof.

He walked to Rin, "Hello child. It's been a while." He patted Rin's head. Rin kept her eyes on the floor. The demon smiled, "Good."

He turned to Gallaya, "And what of you?" he stroked her face, Gallaya jerked away. "Still have that fight in you." He grabbed her face and turned her to face him, her eyes glowed in anger, "I hate that rebellious look in your eyes. By the end of today, it will be gone."

He shoved her face away, and stood straight, "Unchain her."

Two black demons rushed forward and undid her chains. Gallaya collapsed to the ground, not even able to cover her face. Without warning a foot came from nowhere and kicked her face, causing her to taste blood.

"You are pathetic. I wouldn't be surprised if you died within the next two days." He shook his head.

"I don't care." She mumbled and tried to stand, she got as far as to her knees.

He shrugged, "I'm going to break you, no matter what. Bring the girl." He motioned to Rin.

Some of the small demons unlocked Rin. They drug her to Hisomine. Hisomine took her in his arms, he ran his hands up and down her arms. He was flaunting his power in front of Gallaya, who could only kneel on her knees, unable to lift her own body for her fatigue was to great.

"How old are you, child?" he asked, touching her stomach.

She shivered, but knew not to fight back, "Tw-Twelve." She choked out.

"Stop, you bastard." Gallaya's voice shook with tears and anger.

Hisomine turned to Gallaya, and dealt her another kick to the face, knocking her to the ground, before saying, "Do you really want to stop me?" he asked, turning again to Rin and leaned a food three feet down to run his abnormally long tongue across her lips.

Rin did not pull away, only stood their crying and shaking.

Gallaya was on the ground, clutching her face, looking up to watch this horrible scene play out. She wished that Sesshomaru would hurry and save them. Then, she finally knew the plain barbaric truth, he was not coming. He would not save them, it was up to Gallaya now. She wanted to stop it, she knew that she could stop it, but that would mean something that would break her. She would have to give up.

"Please- Please stop." Gallaya begged, her spirit cracking. Her mind covered itself with a thick blanket and all fire left her eyes.

Hisomine, pushed Rin away to the short demons that took her and chained her again. He knelt before Gallaya, "See, it wasn't that hard, was it?"

Gallaya didn't look at him. She felt no hope now, only a scene of being. This was really, this was her fate. She couldn't stop it, only watch and hope for the best. To survive she had to die inside, and die she did. Her spirit died a more painful death than a thousand physical ones.

Hisomine pulled her to her feet, the evil grin still on his face. She was still not able to support herself, but Hisomine did that for her. He clutched her shoulders with his claws, letting them dig into her skin. She winced and pain crossed her face, but she did not try to pull away. She let her head hang, defeated.

"That's a good girl." He said, grinning wildly.

**XXXXXX**

**Thanks for staying with me through that…**

**I think that Hisomine is one sick SOB…**

**Please forgive me…**

**Don't worry, you'll hear from Sesshomaru next time…**

**Hugs and kisses…**


	9. A Friend Returns

**Chapter 9 A Friend Returns**

**Disclaimer: I never have, don't, never will, but wish I did own Inuyasha. I don't not never own Inuyasha! Hooray for me!**

**Hobo: you stole my nickel again.**

**Me: yes, but I flushed it down the toilet.**

**Hobo: oh, that's okay then.**

**XXXXXX**

Sesshomaru followed the dead sent of the trail that he could barely see. He ran with all his speed, letting his anger steam out of him before he found his enemy. He was pissed at Inuyasha for letting them be taken and at himself for leaving them. He knew that there was no way of knowing what would have happened.

He had left to his far away castle two days journey from where he had been, to which he had not returned for many years. He had found it in perfect order. He had also found what he had been searching for. A small, wooden vile.

Jaken had arrived the next day with Ah' Un and told him of Rin and Gallaya's capture. It took him two more days to return, Jaken had showed him where they had been taken from. Sesshomaru remembered it was the last place he had camped with the group before he left. By this time it had rained and all sent had been washed away.

Sesshomaru's anger had grown when he learned that his half brother Inuyasha and his human mate had left Rin and Gallaya to go home.

Sesshomaru had found them and asked where they had been taken. The two left their children with Shippo and brought him to the last place they had seen them. They offered their help, but he did not reply and just walked away.

It had been eight days since he had first left them, eight days that they had been in capture, he thought it was unlikely for them to be alive. He sped across the trail, able to only pick up traces of a demon's sent. He hurried and rushed along. He found a large hill with a small opening at the base. He walked inside, having gotten his anger under control. He had not lost his cool since he had become a man, and even before it had been rare.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Jaken asked hesitantly.

"What is it, Jaken?" he asked, monotone.

"I have a bad feeling."

Sesshomaru did not reply, he also felt the oppressive presence upon them. They traveled deep into the cave, hearing nothing, no movement or sound whatsoever. It did not sit well with him.

He entered a large cavern, from which a man sized hole led down to from the ceiling. He could see a bunch of small demons hovering near the back of the cave. In the center was a circular piece of raised ground, on which stood two demons. One was a human looking one with purple hair and long claws and one was a large recluse spider.

He turned to his left, he was Rin and Gallaya chained within a few meters from each other. Gallaya was hanging on her chaffed wrists, resting all her weight on them. Rin was standing and leaning her back on the wall, asleep. Gallaya did not look up as he entered.

"Well, well, well." Said the human looking demon, "It's about time, Sesshomaru." He smiled.

"Hisomine." Sesshomaru growled at him.

"I thought that you were just going to leave your companions in our care. I was beginning to grow rather bored at my games, too." His smile grew even more.

"Fight me." The dog demon said.

"No, I think I'll watch my brother fight for me instead." He stepped back, allowing the spider to come at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru reached into his kimono and pulled out a small vile, from which he drank.

Sesshomaru then turned into his true from, roaring. He lunged at Hytamorramaru, who also lunged at him. Hytamorramaru tossed him to the ground. The spider stood above to dog in a gloating manner. The dog lunged at the spider and bit him on the side of his head, ripping off a large chunk.

Sesshomaru saw no more point in wasting his time on the demon, he promptly turned into his human form once more.

"Do you really think that that is going to stop me?" the spider asked, laughing. Suddenly he stopped and began screaming instead. He hissed and began to slam his head on the side of the cavern, causing some stalactite to fall, he killed many of his servant demons in the process. The spider stopped moving after turning over on its back, its legs curled up.

"What have you done to my brother!" the other demon cried, rushing to the fallen spider and found him dead beyond doubt, his head melted away. He turned to Sesshomaru, "how did you do this. My brother was immune to your poison."

Sesshomaru looked at him, "I created a potion that temporary causes my poison to become five times more potenent."

The man cried out, he stalked off to the raised ground, "Well, I have a surprise for you too." He said, seemingly no longer upset over his brother's death.

"Bring her!" he bellowed.

There was a scurrying as the small, hooded black demons moved to Gallaya. They unchained her and brought her to the foot of the pedestal. Hisomine walked forward and grabbed her by the collar of her very dirty dress.

He drug her forward with him, until he was standing only a meter and a half in front of Sesshomaru.

"Look at him!" he said to Gallaya. She did not obey him at first, "Look at him!" he commanded slapping Gallaya.

Gallaya slowly raised her head and looked at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru took half a step back without realizing it. His anger boiling over at what he saw. Her eyes, while the same noticeable shade of blue, no longer held the fire that he had grown accustom to seeing. In her eyes he saw the pain that she had endured. He saw that she had been defeated. He saw her brokenness.

Hisomine laughed, "I thought you would enjoy that. It took forever. She really did last long. If only you had arrived a day or two ago, you might have been able to save her. I had a lot of fun out of her, the other one was boring. She did what ever she was told to do. But, this one, I enjoyed breaking." Hisomine grabbed her chin and pulled her up to meet his face, and brushed his lips across her cheeks.

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya shivered as the demon's lips made contact with her skin. She looked at Sesshomaru with sad eyes. She wanted him to save her, but did not think she was worthy. She had given up, she was defeated and was not worthy of saving.

Hisomine grinned even larger, knowing how desolate Gallaya was feeling. He leaned over and whispered quietly in her ear. Her eyes widened in fear of Sesshomaru's reaction.

"Remember you belong to me, do as I say." He told her a little bit louder.

She nodded slightly. Hisomine dropped her, she fell heavily to the ground.

"Unchain the other one and bring her here, I want her to see." He told his demons.

They rushed over to where Rin was chained and drug her forward.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried out, trying to break free, "Lord Sesshomaru, I knew you would come!" she cried happily. She looked at Gallaya, "Gallaya, see he is here now! You can stop pretending." She told her.

Gallaya faced the ground and refused to look at Rin. She walked to the dog demon and wrapped her arms around his waist and armor, she looked up to his face over a foot above hers, his eyes were the same cold look, but this time there was something else that she saw in his eyes. For a second Gallaya absently thought that his icy stature was beginning to melt.

Tears clung to her eyes lashes, "I'm so sorry." She told him, right before digging her head into the fluffy part of his armor.

He stood there not knowing what she meant, then he saw Hisomine coming at him. Sesshomaru felt Gallaya hanging heavily on him, weighing him down. Sesshomaru knew what Hisomine was planning.

Hisomine had drawn his sword and was planning to run it through Gallaya and into Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wrapped his right arm around Gallaya and moved quickly to his right, Hisomine barely missed him, but ripped part of his sleeve.

"Let go of me, woman!" Sesshomaru hissed, leaping to the left as Hisomine lunged once more.

"He'll kill me and Rin both. His minions are just waiting for the order." Gallaya whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru hollered.

"Aye, Sesshomaru-sama." Jaken cried, running into the cavern.

"Save Rin while I kill Hisomine." He said.

Jaken rushed forward with the staff of two heads and attacked the small demons. Sesshomaru drew his sword and tried to fight Hisomine with his left hand, he wasn't perfect, but was able to defend himself and Gallaya more than sufficiently.

"Let go!" Sesshomaru told her.

She did not respond. Sesshomaru attacked Hisomine and managed to stab his left arm, causing the demon to roar in anger. Sesshomaru retreated.

"Milord!" Jaken hollered, "I've got her milord." Gallaya glanced around the dog demon's arm and saw Rin on the back of Ah' Un. Gallaya was happy that she was safe. She smiled slightly and then grimaced and cried out loudly, feeling a sharp pain in her left side.

Hisomine had attacked and managed to slice Gallaya with her sword, luckily he didn't hit any organs. Gallaya squeezed her eyes shut from the burning sensation that was creeping down her side from the spot on her hip where the sword had hit her, cutting through her skin and just scraping her bone.

At that moment, she let go of Sesshomaru, but he did not let go of her. She was surprised as he gripped her tightly around her shoulders and jumped back. He lay Gallaya down, gently on the ground. The small demons were all attacking Jaken, Ah' Un, and Rin and were not paying their masters fight any mind, so Gallaya would be safe to leave by herself for the time being.

"You didn't let me fall." She gasped, finding it hard to speak. "Why? It would be easier."

Sesshomaru did not answer, but stood once more and continued fighting Hisomine.

"Sesshomaru," the purple haired demon said, "it might just be me, but I think you have feelings for that girl." He laughed.

"I have feelings for no one." The dog demon said.

Without being noticed, Gallaya had pushed herself, despite her pain, onto her elbows. She struggled to her feet, and leaned against the wall to breath. She reached into the waist belt of her dress and pulled out a small dagger, which she unsheathed.

She walked against the wall for strength and passed the dissolved spider. She made her way around the pedestal, on which the two demons were now fighting. She struggled after letting go of the wall.

To her luck Hisomine was gloating. "I do believe that you are not strong enough to continue for much longer. It is a shame, you seemed to have weakened over the years. I guess I've just been wasting my time, planning this fight." He said, not seeing are even sensing Gallaya coming up behind him. Sesshomaru made no move or acknowledge that he saw her.

Gallaya reached Hisomine, he was to busy talking to notice her, and dug her weapon deep into his side, pulled it out and entered it half way again until he shoved her away from him. She flew back and her head hit the wall.

"You stupid human!" he screamed, loosing his cool. He went for her, completely disregarding Sesshomaru, much to his disadvantage, who promptly silenced of the demon's head. The head fell and rolled along the floor.

"How, how could you have defeated me?" the head asked in amazement before Sesshomaru stepped on it, and crushed it.

Gallaya stood from the place she had been thrown.

The demons that were still alive saw that their master was dead, and, in fear, they ran from that place.

Jaken saw this and cried out, "Milord we have defeated them! Milord?" he said.

Sesshomaru had not heard the imp say this, instead he sheathed his sword and walked to Gallaya, and upon reaching her, he wrapped his arms around hers, clutching her to him, and lay his head on her shoulder. His white hair covered both their shoulders like a large blanket.

Gallaya felt the heat of his body on her and smelt the sweet sent of his sweat. Her eyes clouded over with tears, she had expected him to hate her and to leave her behind, never, in all the daydreams she had had since her capture had she expected him to do this. He patted her head with his hand.

"I thought that I had lost you." He admitted, whispering into her ear. His breath on her ear caused shivers to run down her spine.

"I thought you had too." She told him, knowing that it probably only made sense to her, but it didn't mater.

She fainted.

**XXXXXX**

**Thanks for baring with me here… **

**I didn't like this chapter all that much, but I guess I had to write it… **

**Don't worry in will be much happier in the next one…**

**Thanks for everything,**

**Isis**


	10. Old Friends, A Vile, and A Kiss

**Chapter 10 Old Friends, A Vile, and A Kiss**

**Well, it's been a while.**

**School is a killer of all good and just!**

**I had a novel I was supposed to have read by today, and I'm only on bag 35 out of **

**469… yeah, that was fun…**

**Here we go once again…**

**I do not own Inuyasha, titles, or rights, the plot and Gallaya belong to me… (Too bad for Sesshomaru)**

**Have fun…**

**XXXXXX**

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going to go?" Jaken asked the man, "They are not strong like demons and can not heal as fast as you or I can."

"I am aware of this." Sesshomaru said, putting Gallaya's dead body (A/N: I'm kidding! How could you think me so cruel?) unconscious body over the back of Ah' Un before lifting Rin and placing her behind Gallaya's body to keep her steady. Rin had quickly bandaged Gallaya's wounds before they left.

"So, what shall you do?" The imp asked.

"Jaken, if you speak to me again… I'll kill you." The demon lord said, not wanting Jaken to disturb him with his constant pestering.

"Y- Yes, milord." Jaken backed off.

Sesshomaru, really didn't have an idea where to go. He was a demon, one with humanistic characteristics, but a demon none the less. He had no idea how to treat Gallaya's wounds, and oblivious to human needs as he was, he was certain that Rin was not well. Human villages would reject him, and demons would not care. If only there was some sort of middle ground, a place that would care for them despite who they were.

_Inuyasha!_, his brother's name hit him with a wave a disgust and desperation. He hated the half demon and would not raise a finger to help him and did not hold the illusion that he would feel the same way, but he needed someone to care for Rin and her new friend and mentor. If not Inuyasha, maybe Kagome.

Sesshomaru resigned himself to the fact that he would need their help. He tried his best to hurry the others, fearing that Gallaya would die and that Rin would grow even worse.

**XXXXXX**

Kagome's young daughter, Kella, was in the garden outside when she saw the two headed demon, along with the dog demon, the green imp arrive. She dropped the weed that she had just pulled and ran to them, recognizing Rin and Sesshomaru immediately.

"Hello!" she said, running forward with her toddler, pudgy legs.

She pulled short when Sesshomaru said, "Run get your mother."

She stood for a second until she knew what he wanted and said, "Yes, Uncle Sesshomaru", before running to the house with a speed three times faster than a human child of her age.

Sesshomaru let the name sink in, angered that they told her to call him that. It was only with great resentment that he admitted Inuyasha was related to him. Jaken whispered, "Stupid child." Under his breath.

By the time Kagome understood what her child was telling her, and was halfway out the door, Sesshomaru was carrying Gallaya in his left arm and holding Rin up with his left, as she could barely walk. Kagome was startled at the sight of them. She rushed him inside, followed by Jaken, and led him to a dark guest room, pulling back the sheets and telling Sesshomaru to set the woman down on the bed. She crossed the room quickly to the window, pulling back the curtain and letting the sunlight in.

"Kella, go get some healing herbs from the garden." She told her daughter, who understood the gravity in her mother's voice, and went as fast as she could.

Kagome went to the kitchen and got a large pot from the future out of a cabinet, filled it with water and began heating it over the fire. She got an even smaller one, filled it with water and put some of the cooked meat form yesterday into it.

Jaken entered, "What are you doing, cooking! Rin and the woman need your help and you start making dinner!"

Kagome replied with heat in her voice as she put the second pot in the fire as well, "Do you know how to take care of a human that is near death, Jaken?" she asked.

"N- no, I don't really." He muttered.

"They need special care. The hot water is to clean out the wounds, my daughter is getting medicine to heal and prevent infection. Rin is starving and Gallaya looks even worse, they will not be able to keep anything solid down, I am making a meat broth that will give them the nutrients that they need." She stated.

Jaken muttered again.

"What!" Kagome shouted, leaving the pots in the fire. "No one told me Gallaya had been stabbed!" she shouted.

She ran from the kitchen and dining area that resembled the one Keade used to have and ran to a closet, and pulled aside the grass mat that covered it. She pulled out a first aid kit that she had brought from the future. She ran to the paper screen that served as the door to the guest room.

Kagome ran into the room, ignoring Sesshomaru leaning against the wall, where he had been when she left him. She pulled back the blankets that covered Gallaya, she saw the dirty cloth that covered the wound already seeped in blood. She ripped the dress even farther to completely reveal her left hip, while keeping her modest.

Kagome removed the bandage and frowned, _her body is so dirty, I need to bath her, or she will be infected._

Her daughter returned to the room, saying she had set the plants by the fire to dry. Kagome turned to her, "Run get the washtub from the shed and bring it around to the front.

The tub was long enough for man to sit in with his legs straight and wide enough as well, and a foot deep. It was made of thin iron, and was used to wash clothes mainly.

Kagome and her daughter poured the hot water into it that had been boiled over the kitchen fire. It was not enough, so Kagome put another pot on it. The two pots of water were hot enough so that they could add cool water.

Kagome had Sesshomaru carry Gallaya and lay her into the warm water while Kella put another pot of warm water on to wash Rin. Sesshomaru left without saying anything, which relieved Kagome, she knew how he felt about humans, but did not think it appropriate for him to watch as she removed Gallaya's dirty, and now wet, clothes.

Kagome used some soap and washed the young woman with it, carefully cleaning her open wounds. She thought that while she was at it, she should just as well wash the girls hair. She used shampoo, lathered it up, and washed it out.

When she was finished, Kagome called for her daughter and they pulled her out, dried her off, and wrapped a blanket around her before caring her, with much effort into the house. Rin had washed from a bucket, and Kella had cleaned and dressed her wrists where the chains had cut into her flesh. Rin was drinking the broth with a passion when Kagome brought Gallaya inside. Kella had taken the blanket from the guestroom, and put a new one on the bed. Kagome and her laid Gallaya down and put ointment on her wounds. Kella wrapped Gallaya's wrists, while Kagome sowed the deep cut, then wrapped it.

Kagome knew that Gallaya was starving, and wanting to kill the ones who did this to her, were not they dead like she assumed. She slowly spooned a little bit of broth down her throat along with some water and a couple of powered pills in the water and a little more broth to rid her of the bitter taste of the pain pills.

Rin slept.

**XXXXXX**

Miroku and Sango stopped and got off of Kelala, the demon cat turning back into Kerara, a pocket sized version of its great form. Sango's boomerang was strapped around her back, even though she was dressed in her casual clothes and knew she was in no condition to fight if she needed to.

"Let me take that." Miroku said.

"Listen here monk, I've carried this around for years. I can handle it."

"But-"

"No buts, if you want to be useful, then carry my other stuff." Sango headed for the door to the house.

Kella ran outside, "Lady Sango! Monk Miroku!" a smile on her face.

"Kella!" Sango hugged Kella with a little difficulty.

"Sango, long time no see." Kagome stood at the door for a second before hugging her old friend.

"Sorry for the surprise visit, but we were on our way to get the special blessing from Monk Hizara."

"No problem, but just so you know. Sesshomaru's probably going to be coming around here. He was in a battle, Rin and this woman who was traveling with them were wounded. I'm taking care of them." Kagome led them in the house.

"Sesshomaru, it's been a long time since I've laid eyes on him." Miroku said.

"Traveling with another human?" she asked.

"Yes, I was surprised as well."

"What did Inuyasha say?" Miroku asked.

"He doesn't know yet."

"Oh, good, then we get to see the fireworks." Miroku said.

Kagome clapped her hands, "Okay, on to better and happier things… When is the baby due?"

Sango looked down at her enlarged stomach and smiled, stroking it, "In a month."

**XXXXXX**

Inuyasha hurried home, detesting the sent that he and his sons found there, he entered precautiously. His gaze flinted across the room, relieved that _he_ was not there.

Kagome looked up from the soup she was making, "You're back! Good!"

"Kagome, are you okay?" he asked, sniffing around.

"What, yeah, oh! You smell him don't you?" she laid the ladle down and gave Inuyasha a hug. He breath the sent of the woman he loved as it over powered the smell of his brother.

"Yeah." He said letting go of her with some reluctance.

Miroku and Sango greeted him enthusiastically, "It's been a while, Inuyasha." Miroku said.

Sango and Kagome sat down again, looking at the door to the guest room, "It's the girl that was traveling with him. She was horribly wounded. He had no where else to bring her, so he brought her and Rin here." She sighed, "I don't know if Gallaya will be okay, she was badly hurt."

Shippo and Souta entered, "Mom, are you okay?" they asked. "We can smell Sesshomaru's sent everywhere."

She hugged them, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Inuyasha lost his cool when he caught the sent, it was so unruly for a demon to behave like he did." Shippo said, folding his arms.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and brought his fist down on Shippo's head.

"Ow! Kagome!" he cried, running to his mom.

"You really annoy me, you little punk!" he growled, embarrassed.

Kagome just smiled, happy knowing that Inuyasha was worried about her. She served them bowls of the stew and the seven of them sat down to dinner.

"Miss Kagome?" a voice called from the doorway opposite them.

"Rin!" Kagome said, jumping up. The twelve year old child was wrapped in a blanket.

"I'm hungry." She said, Kagome helped the child down to the table and got her a bowl of food. She patted the child's head before sitting back down.

A couple of minutes later the door swung open, the wind blowing into the house. Sesshomaru stood in the door way with Jaken at his feet, eyes cold as ever.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said, laughing and jumping up to run to greet him. She pulled short of him, smiling up at him, "I missed you! Where did you go?"

"Rin, have your injuries healed?" he ignored her question and got straight to the point.

"Mostly, mi'lord!"

"Then eat and heal." He said, walking pass her, with his calm and cool stature.

"Yes, mi'lord!" she laughed, her sweet voice filling the house.

Sesshomaru went to the door to the room where Gallaya lay, almost dead. He stopped and just started at the door, finally he directed a question at Kagome, continuing ignoring Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango.

"How is she?"

"Not good, I'm afraid. I don't think she is going to get an infection, but the next few hours are crucial." Kagome answered.

Sesshomaru did not acknowledge her anymore, and pushed aside screen door to enter the room, leaving Jaken and Rin outside.

The moonlight entered through a window on the wall to his right. Sesshomaru stood before it, looking out to the trees. He stood there for a few minutes, not turning around.

Gallaya turned her head a little blinking her eyes, trying to see straight, but the world was tilted, turning and blurry. She shook her head, causing the sheets to rustle. Sesshomaru turned and saw her trying to sit up. He walked over to the bed.

"Lay down." He told her.

She obliged. Sesshomaru pulled a vial from his pocket. He uncorked it and handed it to Gallaya. She took it from him and held it.

"Drink." He commanded her.

She drunk it, then she asked, "What was that?"

"A vial I bought years ago for Rin. I feared she would receive great wounds in a battle with Naraku. I kept it just in case."

"I have heard of Naraku. He was a great and feared demon. I was about twelve at that time. I saw him once, too. I thought that I would be killed, but my family and I managed to escape from the village that his minions had destroyed."

Sesshomaru said nothing. "I heard he was dead." Still nothing, "Who killed him?"

"Many people."

"Oh." Gallaya stopped speaking.

After a few minutes passed Gallaya asked, "Where is Rin? Is she okay?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Well?" he raised his eyebrows.

Gallaya was frustrated at her position. She was not able to sit up, and she felt that if she could do that, then she could get a straight answer. She tried to push herself up and prop her back on the wall. It was when her blanket fell half way down her breast did she realize that she had no clothes on.

"Eeak!" she squealed, gripping the blanket back to her, trying to hide herself, glad that it was only part of her breast, and not all, as well as embarrassed that her saw part of her that he was not meant to see.

"Get out!" she said. "I'm not dressed!"

"Don't flatter yourself." Sesshomaru turned his head to the right, to look out of the window, "I do not find your body intriguing." _But, if that is so, then why do I…_

"Fine!" she huffed, sitting up in bed, but pulled the sheets around her, wrapping them all the way to her chin.

**XXXXXX**

"What are they doing in there?" Kagome whispered to the other three. The four children were all in bed, asleep now.

"You don't think he's doing anything, untoward to her? Do you?" Miroku asked.

"Don't be ridicules." Sango brushed.

"Not everyone is as perverted as you are." Inuyasha bonked Miroku on his head.

"Hey!"

"Shhh…." Kagome shushed them, "I'm trying to hear."

The four of them, crouched, inched closer to the door.

**XXXXXX**

Sesshomaru ignored the voices he heard outside of the door, feeling a little angry that they would think he would degrade himself with Gallaya.

"Um, Lord Sesshomaru...?" Gallaya asked, her voice quite sedated. "Back in the cave, I am so sorry for helping the demon."

Gallaya bowed her head, tears running down her face, "I… I just… I wanted him to stop hurting Rin and me so much that I gave in. I am so sorry!" she stared at her hands, recalling how she had clutched onto his body, trying to prevent him from fighting back.

Sesshomaru heard her start to weep. He started out the window, watching the moonlight hitting the ground. Then he could stand it no more.

Gallaya felt a cool hand on her face, it's pale skin wiped away her tears. She felt the nails on her cheeks, yet it was a gentle brush, no more. She looked up to see Sesshomaru standing next to her bed, bending a little to reach her cheek.

"Shed no more tears." He told her.

"But I betrayed you! I deserve to die!" she declared, turning her head from him.

Sesshomaru sat beside the bed, his stature perfect as her leaned and rested his back against the wall. _It is true, she does deserve to die. But, I can not bring myself to do it!_ He realized.

After a few minutes of silent, Sesshomaru spoke, "When you looked at me with your broken eyes, I wanted to lash out and kill. Not you, but the one that did it to you. I wanted to kill him so fiercely, I almost could not hold myself. A thousand of Hisomine's deaths still would not cure that pain."

He whispered it, almost unintelligibly, but Gallaya heard and was silent, knowing that there was no way to respond to that.

"Sleep." Sesshomaru told her, standing.

Gallaya only nodded and slid deep into the sheets. She looked up at him for a second, then glanced away.

Suddenly, Sesshomaru was knelt on the floor, above Gallaya's bed. His lips connected and moved on hers in a gentle, yet insistive motion. He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, lips moving on hers. His eyes opened for the slightest second in surprise when he felt her responding. Gallaya moaned ever so softly against his lips.

Sesshomaru pulled away and was standing above her before Gallaya had even noticed his movement.

His eyes were cool and showed no emotion as he slid the door open. Three figures crashed onto the floor at Sesshomaru's feet.

They picked themselves up.

"We were uh, just checking to make sure Gallaya was okay." Kagome said, scratching her cheek, looking for an excuse.

She turned around, only to see Miroku and Sango who had been listening with her, back at the table, pretending to sip tea.

_What a way to show your support guys._ Kagome thought, giving them a glance. They both ignored the heated look, nervous.

Sesshomaru left without saying a word.

**XXXXXX**

**Well, thanks for reading…**

**I'm afraid I might have made Sesshomaru's character to soft…**

**Its hard keeping that great stature when you are trying to make him fall in love..**

**Keep reading…**


	11. Sesshomaru's Cherry Blossom Kiss

**Chapter 11 Sesshomaru's Cherry Blossom Kiss**

**I want a dollar…**

**Can I have a dollar…**

**I got a dollar…**

**They gave me a dollar…**

**I cost a dolor…**

**I like dollars…**

**I don't own Inuyasha… I wish I did… I don't…**

**XXXXXX**

**I love Halloween! **

**I went trick or treating last night…**

**Even though I'm way to old…**

**I dressed as a maverick…**

**It's like an old timey dancing girl and prostitute…**

**I was flirting with everyone…**

**Girls and Guys… (I don't care as long as they pay)**

**I got a lot of candy!**

**I gave it all away to my friends (Except for gum and Smarties!)**

**Okay, here is the story…**

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya rose early, sliding out of bed and started to stretch before even remembering that she was injured.

She realized that she was standing naked in the small room when she looked down to see if her wound was okay. It was just a day full of surprises.

To her amazement it was almost all the way healed, leaving only a small patch of tender red skin with a cut in the center that was oozing just a little. It was surrounded by pink healthy skin and showed no signs of infection. She was also happy to see the marks around her wrist were just red lines and would no doubted disappear in a day or two. She wondered what had made her heal so fast.

She realized that it must have been that potion that Sesshomaru had given her the night before.

For some reason, she felt happy.

Gallaya looked through the room for something to wear and found nothing. She decided to wrap the blanket around herself for modesty. She opened the door ever so slightly and poked her head out, wanting to make sure the coast was clear.

She saw the forms of Kella, Souta, Shippo, and Rin sleeping in one corner of the room. She stole into the room and saw a grass mat covering a set of shelves. She pulled in aside, but found nothing to wear.

To her absolute horror she began to hear the front door open. She turned, stricken to see Inuyasha standing there with fish in his hands.

"Kagome, I have…" his voice trailed off when he saw Gallaya wrapped in the blanket that barely covered her and was a lot shorter than the clothes that kagome had worn.

"What the hell?" he asked.

Gallaya was afraid that everyone was going to wake and see her indecent, "I don't have clothes." She whispered in a small voice.

Inuyasha blushed brightly and threw the fish in the sink before marching at top pace to a door on the other side of the room than the one Gallaya had been in.

"Kagome!" he wrapped on the door, calling loud and obnoxiously.

"What?" a voice mumbled from the other side.

"Gallaya is up." He said.

"So what, go away!" she moaned.

"She…" Inuyasha muttered, "Doesn't, uh, have any uh, clothes on." He said in the smallest voice he could while Kagome could still hear him.

"What!?" she shouted.

Gallaya heard shuffling inside, the door swinging open a second latter. Kagome's eyes opened when she saw Gallaya wrapped in a white sheet that left her shoulders bare and didn't even go halfway down her upper legs.

Gallaya was quickly pulled inside the room, having no idea what was going on.

"Here, put this on." Kagome handed her something after rummaging for a second on the shelves that were built into the wall.

Gallaya looked at the clothes uncertain, "Are these foreigner clothes?" She asked, "I've never seen these before."

Kagome showed her how to put them on. When Gallaya was done dressing, she looked down at her outfit.

"This doesn't feel right." Gallaya said.

"Sorry," Kagome smiled, "But you are bigger in the breast area than I am."

Gallaya blushed wildly, almost appalled that someone had said such a thing.

The dress was simple, a light blue with a flower pattern and short sleeves. It fell to her knees and brought out her eyes, the only problem was, like Kagome said, the breast. It was pulled kind of tightly there, showing of their shape really well.

"Do you have nothing else?" Gallaya asked.

"Not really. Most of my clothes are going to be like that on you. As soon as we can, we'll buy you some better clothes."

Gallaya smiled to herself, secretly enjoying the sensation that the dress was bringing. It made her feel beautiful, special, and excited.

Gallaya helped Kagome prepare breakfast after meeting Sango and Miroku. She remembered hearing something about them both, and was pleased to have met them.

"Um, Gallaya?" Kagome asked.

"What?"

Kagome looked around, making sure that the men and children weren't listening, "What were you and Sesshomaru do last night?"

Gallaya blushed from the older woman's question, "N… Nothing. He gave me a vile with a potion to speed my recovery." She turned away.

"Oh really?" Kagome asked with a sly look on her face. "Is that all?"

Gallaya felt intimidated, "Well, yes."

"I don't believe you." Kagome said.

"Kagome, leave her alone." Sango said, "Don't torment her so."

"Awww." Kagome said, "I was about to get an answer from her." On a more serious note Kagome said, "When I met him years ago, he was firm set against humans. It was such a shock when he took in Rin. I guess he really is softening up."

"I wonder if he is like his father." Sango said.

"His father was a demon who fell in love with a human. He might be like that one day."

"If he had the right woman." Sango pointed out.

"What do you think." Kagome asked Gallaya.

"Well," Gallaya was thoughtful, "If he had the right woman. She would need to be strong, and brave, an equal match for him. She would have to be able to stand up for herself. She would probably have to be beautiful." Gallaya looked into space.

"That sounds like you." Sango said.

"Is this wishful thinking we are hearing? Come on, you can tell us." Kagome looked hungry for information.

"Well," Gallaya started.

"Yes!" Kagome shouted, "I knew it!"

Sango giggled. The two clasped hands and started whispering evil plans to each other. Gallaya stared in shock, faintly realizing that they had probably been planning this form last night.

**XXXXXX**

After breakfast, Gallaya borrowed a towel from Kagome and went to bath in the brook.

She found the brook easily and searched for a part of it that was concealed from the rest, so that she could have some privacy.

It was a calm brook and the water was the perfect temperature for the warm day, cool and refreshing. Gallaya found a secluded spot and, after being sure none was nearby, stripped and entered the small pool that was naturally formed.

She bathed and swam, relaxing and feeling the water cover her, feeling protected by it.

She exited and donned her clothes once again, her hair partly wetting her back where it fell.

She stepped from the grove and started back to the house, stepping carefully over low branches, ignoring the naked feeling that the dress caused. She entered a part where the trees were sparse.

She saw something move out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head quickly, her now damp hair covering her face. She reached up and tucked it behind her ears and nodded her head deeply when she saw that the movement was Sesshomaru.

He stood there, facing the opposite direction as Gallaya, his eyes narrowed in a frown. His pale skin shown in the spare rays of the sun, the two dark purple lines on either cheek and the bluish crescent moon in the center of his forehead were a major contrast to their white background. For some odd reason, he was not wearing his normal armor or even the fluffy part of his outfit that showed his high position and streangth. Gallaya stood and beheld his magnificence, unable to say anything for the longest time. Their eyes met and neither looked away. It seemed as if there was a small world of only them and the overcast area no more than eight feet wide. They stood, each one on either side of this miniature clearing where only grass grew, gently slapping their ankles. Their bodies were parallel to each other, each one's body facing forward and only their faces turned to each other. They were both caught in mid stride, unable to take another step lest the spell be broken.

Ten seconds passed, then twenty. A whole minutes was gone, then another. Minutes passed by like leaves falling from a tree in autumn. Three minutes, then four, then five, then…

Sesshomaru took a step, the spell broken, but another one created in turn. The wind picked up, blowing cherry petals and blossoms from some of the surrounding trees. Sesshomaru took another step and another, judging each one slowly, but surely. Gallaya foolishly thought the blossoms were going to wrap Sesshomaru's body, closing him, sealing him away from her forever. Gallaya's heart beat faster as the man in the red and white kimono closed in on her, stepping close to her body, not saying a word. Gallaya felt her vision going blurred and then sharpening as he stopped, inches away from her, his head a little over a foot above hers. Sesshomaru's eyes never left hers and he looked almost straight down at her.

His hand rose from his side and reached to her. Gallaya felt a blush rising to her cheeks. And for a second, just a second, Gallaya thought that she saw a glimpse of a smile on the corners of his lips.

Sesshomaru's hand touched Gallaya's head, and he pulled a cherry blossom petal out of her hair. Gallaya felt the blossom touch her forehead, then he trailed it down her cheek and over her draw line.

Sesshomaru took the cherry petal and laid it gently on Gallaya's lips, holding with his left hand. Then he took his right hand and placed it behind Gallaya's neck, cupping the back of her head and causing her to tilt it back to look straight up at him.

Sesshomaru slowly and ever so tediously, his eyes fluttering shut, placed his lips over the petal that covered Gallaya's lips. Gallaya stood surprised, eyes wide, for a couple of seconds, then shut her own eyes in carefree admittance.

The calm and light pressure of Sesshomaru's lips held the cherry blossom petal in place as he removed his left hand from the petal and wrapped his entire arm around Gallaya's waist, pulling her close and pressing her breast against his chest firmly. He kept the kiss gentle and pure, not pressing any further.

Gallaya's head was spinning, a small moan escaped from her throat.

Then, without warning, the warmth of the other body disappeared. Gallaya only saw the last wisp of Sesshomaru's kimono leave her sight. She did not move, head still tilted back, and eyes misty and wishful.

The wind stopped at once, allowing a word to cross the expanse that now separated them. A single word that Sesshomaru had uttered as he left her standing there in the field of fallen cherry blossoms.

_"Lover."_

**XXXXXX**

**That was hard to write…**

**I liked how Sesshomaru is so stoic about the whole thing…**

**(He's stoic about everything, what am I say?)**

**Keep reading and reviewing**


	12. One Last Word

**Chapter 12 One Last Word**

**XXXXXX**

**Here we go…**

**This is going to be the last chapter…**

**Don't come crying to be if you don't like it…**

**Here we go…**

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya stood in the small field of fallen cherry blossoms, her lips on fire, her cheeks aflame. She slowly straightened her head and raised a hand to her lips, touching them to see if they were still there, or if they had left with Sesshomaru.

Gallaya wondered if she had been hallucinating, but the sweet sent that trailed Sesshomaru was left with her, clinging to her, and staid with her while Sesshomaru was long gone.

Gallaya left…

**XXXXXX**

Three days had passed since Sesshomaru had met Gallaya in the cherry blossoms, and his mind was elsewhere as Jaken spoke, ticking off things that he disliked about humans. Sesshomaru remembered feeling the warmth of her lips beneath the blossom petal and the smell of the wood and fresh water that emanated from the woman and filled his nostrils, the taste of her mouth, the feel of her…

_What is wrong with me?_ He thought, _I was way too rash. She is nothing but a human. She is young, inexperienced, and defenseless. Yet, I get this unsatisfiable need to protect her. I want to heal whatever scars have been put on her._

A small exasperated sigh escaped his lips, but Jaken was absorbed in what his was saying and did not hear.

_I even called her "lover". I don't feel that way about anyone, let alone a pathetic, worthless… beautiful human! But, who wouldn't feel that way with her in that stupid excuse for a dress, she would have been better off without anything on, in fact-… What am I thinking!!! I must correct my dreadful mistake. She needs to know that nothing can become of this…_

Sesshomaru stood abruptly, catching Jaken off guard.

"Milord?" the green imp asked, "Uh, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru did not respond, only walked in the direction of his brother's house.

**XXXXXX**

"Please help me?" Rin asked of Gallaya, holding the dress out to her.

Kagome had given the two of them extra cloth that she had to sew a couple of dresses for them until they were able to get some more from a better source. It was an advantage that Gallaya had always been very handy with a needle and thread.

Gallaya took the cloth from her, it was finally looking like a dress. Gallaya had just finished with hers, it had taken the entire three days to make it.

Gallaya untangled the last couple stitches, "You have to go under, up, and through." She told the twelve year old.

"Oh." Rin said, taking the dress from her, smiling brightly.

Gallaya could see why Sesshomaru had kept the child all those years, despite her being a human. Rin was bright, happy, learned fast, and had this air of joy around her. Gallaya watched the child as she sewed, completely absorbed in it.

"Do you think Sesshomaru will come for us soon?" Rin asked.

Gallaya remembered that Rin had not seen Sesshomaru for the past few days, but neither had she. Not since the field and Sesshomaru had…

Gallaya shook her head, trying to put it out of her mind. She tried to convince herself that Sesshomaru did not feel anything special towards her, despite anything that might have proved other wise. If there was anything that Gallaya had learned during her time in the world, it was that demons and humans were not compatible. Gallaya still did not convince herself.

"He will come when he wants to, not any sooner." Gallaya patted the girl on the head.

"I know." Rin sighed, then she lowered the cloth she was working on into her lap,

"You know, when I first met Sesshomaru, I knew nothing of the relationships between humans and demons, but over time I learned. At one point, I hated humans, and I still do for the most part." Rin looked up at Gallaya, "But you are an exception. I really like you. I want to stay with Sesshomaru forever. And I want you to be with us too."

Rin tossed down the stuff from her lap and rushed into Gallaya's arms, catching the woman by surprise with the hug.

"Please stay with us, forever. Don't leave us." Rin buried her head in Gallaya's neck, causing the woman's ponytail to fall down.

"Rin…" Gallaya uttered, not knowing what to say.

"You have to! I like you, and so does Master Jaken, and Lord Sesshomaru does too, even though he doesn't show it."

"Rin. Rin." Gallaya pulled the child back, "You know that I can't stay forever, one day I will leave. One day, I will die.

Rin's shoulders went limp and her head fell.

"We are humans and we can not hope to live nearly as long as Lord Sesshomaru. He is a powerful demon. We are only humans and we will die and Lord Sesshomaru will continue with out us by his side." Gallaya told the girl's down turned head.

Rin started to cry.

"But listen Rin." The child looked up at her, "We…you, can stay with him as long as you can, okay?"

The girl nodded.

"It can not be forever, but it can be for as long as you live." Gallaya said, pulling the child into another hug.

The girl laughed in her hair, "As long as I live."

_Hear that, Sesshomaru? _Gallaya thought, _As long as **I** live I will be with you, by your side._

**XXXXXX**

Sesshomaru opened the door to the house without knocking. It was near dark and everyone was sitting down to dinner, ready to eat.

The door swung open and everyone turned to look. Sesshomaru stalked to the table where they were sitting.

Rin did not call any sign of greeting, she knew that Sesshomaru was in a bad mood and was wise enough to stay silent.

"Lord Sesshomaru." Gallaya said, trying to lie to herself about what happened in the field, "It is nice to- OW!" she cried as Sesshomaru jerked her up by the arm.

"Come with me." Was all he said, not giving her a choice, dragging her to the door.

"Wait!" cried Rin, who through herself in front of Sesshomaru, "What are you doing with Lady Gallaya?" she asked, trying to defend the woman, not knowing the reason for Sesshomaru's anger.

"Move aside, Rin. I need to talk to this woman." Sesshomaru commanded the child.

"It's okay, Rin." Gallaya said, smiling, even though Sesshomaru's grip on her

right arm was still tight and his nails were digging into her flesh.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru told the imp who had followed him into the house.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Stay here."

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama."

Gallaya smiled once more at the girl as Sesshomaru, with a steady and quick pase, pulled her from the house. He drug her pass the tree line until Gallaya finally started pulling on his arm.

"Stop!" she said, tying to get loose. "Let go! That hurts! Stop Lord Sesshomaru!"

Sesshomaru stopped and released her arm without turning around, "Woman, have you told Rin about being a woman?"

Gallaya was caught off guard, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer me." His voice was calm, monotone, and gave her chills that ran up and down her spine.

"Not yet." She rubbed the area right above her elbow where Sesshomaru had grabbed her.

"That is the only reason I am allowing you to stay with her. You have until tomorrow to tell her." Sesshomaru started to walk away, deeper into the woods.

"What if I don't?" Gallaya asked, defiantly.

"Either way, we will leave this place without you."

"You can't do that!" Gallaya declared.

Sesshomaru turned, slowly. He grabbed her and shoved her against a nearby tree in a swift move.

"I will do what ever I please." He declared, "I do not need your permission."

"You will take her away from a chance to learn about her own kind. She is a human, one day she will die." Gallaya declaired.

"She deserves to learn what it is like to live as a normal person. She should grow up in a stable environment, marry and have a family." Gallaya said, eyes full of her rebellious gaze, as if she had never been broken.

"If she stays and lives out her days with you, she will have nothing, no family or anything to carry on her name or thought. All she will have is a heartless **_demon_**" she was yelling at him, "Who will care nothing for her!"

Her screams echoed against the trees.

He was unmoved, "Who are you to tell me what I should do with Rin? You do not own her! She belongs to me! I will do whatever the hell I want with her!" he fumed, coming so close to loosing his cool for the first time in years.

"That's your problem, you see people as things, to own, conquer, and destroy. Not as living creatures. You are heartless, and you are a monster! And let go of me!" Gallaya fought as Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her.

The wind started to blow from behind the tree on which Gallaya was pinned. It swept through her hair and blew back Sesshomaru's.

Sesshomaru felt something wet fall on his face, a droplet touched his forehead, one hit his cheek, another his mouth. Shocked, he realized Gallaya was crying. She looked at him with a despairing lostness.

A sob racked her body, shaking her. Sesshomaru felt it through his arms, saw it with his eyes.

"Uh." The small sound was a symbol of his surprise.

"Get away from me, you jerk!" Gallaya shouted, pushing at him.

Sesshomaru let her push him away, not knowing what to do. Every woman he had met, refused to show any emotion, just like him. They were of course demons. Part of Sesshomaru felt distaste at her reaction, another, a softer part that he had never felt before, wanted to go to her, to stop the tears.

Gallaya started to run away, but her eyes were filled with tears and she could not see where she was going. She tripped and fell, landing on her knees and hands.

She pushed herself up and stood with her back to Sesshomaru, shacking, "You are cruel, you are inconsiderate, and you are **heartless**!"

Sesshomaru stepped closer, looking at her. She shook even harder.

"Don't come any closer! Get away from me!" she screamed at him.

She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging herself as if she had been greatly hurt. She sobbed loudly.

**XXXXXX**

Inuyasha frowned at Sesshomaru's reply of letting her go, giving Kagome a look. He, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku watched from some nearby bushes downwind from the two, so that Sesshomaru could not smell them.

Sesshomaru walked away, the opposite direction from the house.

"Sesshomaru's an idiot!" Kagome whispered.

"I agree!" Sango whispered back from the painfully crouch.

"Well, Sesshomaru has always believed that demons and humans should not be together. It's only natural that this would be his reaction."

"Feh! Sesshomaru doesn't know a good deal when he sees one."

"Umhm!" Miroku agreed.

"So what? A woman wanting to be with a man is nothing more than a deal!" Sango cried. "That's all we mean to you men?"

"Uh… No! Never, Sango, you mean more than the world to me."" Miroku exclaimed putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Inuyasha! You jerk!" Kagome said, standing. Inuyasha could almost see the black aura surrounding her.

Inuyasha cowered, "What? What did I do?" he asked, putting his hand over his heart, breathing in fast.

Kagome and Sango picked up rocks and started chunking them at the men and managed to get a couple of satisfying "Thunk"s out of it.

"You are heartless!" both the women shouted at the same time and stalked off, back to the house.

The two men clung to each other, "Scary!"

**XXXXXX**

Gallaya put the dress that she had made for Rin into a small bag, then the blankets that Kagome had given her and a couple of things to eat.

She had not yet told Rin that she would not be going with her to travel with Sesshomaru. Rin was still sleeping soundly and Gallaya did not want to wake the child with the news. She sighed and put her head in her hands, sitting on the floor next to the bed in the guest room that Rin was occupying.

It was early morning, the sun had not even rose yet, the nocturnal animals had returned to their homes and the birds were starting to chirp with anticipation.

Gallaya shook her head and stood up and slipped into one of the dresses that she had made on her stay their. She slid open the door into the main part of the house and went to sit down next to the warm embers of the previous nights fire.

Inuyasha was sitting there gazing into the fire and did not acknowledge her presence.

They sat in total and comforting silence for a long time. Gallaya watched the embers dance in the heat that they created. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"What will you do now?" Inuyasha asked, breaking the silence.

"With my family gone, I have no place to go. I still have plenty of gold to live in comfort for a time." She paused for a minute and thought a little bit more before continuing, "I might find a nice village far away and get a job as a maid, a hostess, something. I might settle down, get married…" she broke off.

_No! I can't think about relationships right now… it hurts. Why does it hurt so much. _Tears started to fall from Gallaya's eyes. She clung to the cloth over her breast,_ My heart, it hurts. Why does it hurt so much?_

She started to sob, _Oh, Gods, now I'm crying… what's wrong with me. I feel as if my heart is breaking._

She felt a warm arm around her and looked up at Inuyasha who had moved to sit next to her. She dug her head into his shoulder and clung to his kimono as she cried as quietly as she could.

**XXXXXX**

Kagome watched for a minute or two more before sliding the door shut. She leaned against the wall. She looked to the roof of her home, the home that she shared with Inuyasha, and thought back to her fifteenth birthday when she first traveled through the well. It was so long ago, but she remembered all the details of their fights with Naraku and how long and hard they had fought him.

She had fallen for Inuyasha shortly after they met, despite his cold and rude demeanor. Inuyasha seemed to care for her too, there was just one problem… a woman named Kikyo.

Kikyo had been a wonderful, talented, and beautiful priestess. It was almost inevitable Inuyasha had loved her. Inuyasha's heart had been caught in a struggle between the two women.

_Like Inuyasha_, Kagome thought, _there is someone competing for Sesshomaru's heart along with Gallaya… Pride._

Kagome felt pity for the girl, knowing the struggle that she was going through. Knowing the hurt that she felt, for she had often felt it.

_Sesshomaru, I hope you realize the right decision._ Kagome thought bitterly.

**XXXXXX**

"Gallaya, Rin!" Kagome shouted, "Sesshomaru is here."

Gallaya helped Rin outside. Sesshomaru was standing next to Ah' Un, Jaken at his feet. The sunlight shone down on them, painting a perfect picture as it danced around.

Gallaya's breath caught when she saw Sesshomaru standing their in all his glory.

His hair was a brilliant white, his cheeks white and the thin purple lines framed on them along with the blue crescent moon on his forehead.

With a pain in her gut, Gallaya ripped her eyes from him and slowly walked to Ah' Un. She placed the bag on his back. Then returned to Rin and the others.

Gallaya patted Rin on the head and leaned down to look her in the face.

"Rin, I want you to be good to Sesshomaru, okay?"

Rin had tears in her eyes, "I want to stay with you." She sniffed.

Gallaya shook her head, aware that Sesshomaru was watching her and was determined not to cry.

"Not today, but one day I'll see you again." She told the twelve year old.

"Promise?" Rin said, wiping a hand across her eyes and brushing the tears away.

Gallaya looked at Sesshomaru straight in the eyes, "Yes, Rin" she turned back, "I promise."

"Then this isn't really good-bye for forever?"

"Nothing is forever."

Then Gallaya held out her arms and Rin rushed into them. The two hugged for a long time. Despite their age differences, the two had grown close during the short time they had been together. They had become like sisters.

Rin finally pulled away and looked up at Gallaya, "Bye, Lady Gallaya."

"Good-bye, Rin." Gallaya said.

Rin turned and walked to Sesshomaru and the four started to walk down the tree lined lane. The breeze picked up, blowing a few leaves off of their trees.

Sesshoamru turned his head back for a short moment, hair blowing in his face. His eyes were serious, but Gallaya saw that they held something new in them, a new look that shone out to her over the distance.

Gallaya saw his mouth moving, but the words were stolen from her by the wind whipping around her, but her stomach clenched and her heart stopped as she saw one last word forming his lips.

One word that made Gallaya's head soar.

One word that cut into her heart deeply.

One word that fell from his pink tinged lips.

One word…

"…_lover."_

Then he turned around and was gone.

**XXXXXX**

**That's it…**

**It's over…**

**I don't really like the ending, it's really sad…**

**I want Gallaya and Sesshomaru to get together…**

**But, that's just not how it turned out…**

**I think I might write a second one…**

**If I do it will be called "Like Sisters"...**

**Luv ya guys…**

**Peace out!**


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